Search This Blog

Sunday, July 31, 2016

There are many different kinds from pistachio, mango, rose, cardamom and saffron flavors.

The basic ice cream base is 3 ingredients... yes you read that right!

Then you can add whatever you want. In my house growing up the kids didn't like the pistachios, so my mom would make this with M&Ms, oreos or Reese's pieces.

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of evaporated milk
1 can of condensed milk
1 8 oz. tub of Cool Whip
Optional: a splash of vanilla extract

Then choose whatever flavor you want. Rosewater and red food coloring if you want a Rose-flavored ice cream that's pink. Pistachios and green food coloring to make a mint-colored pista kulfi. Mango pulp for the mango kulfi or for a spicy kick cardamom.

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients in a bowl and whip with a hand mixer until it's a thick, creamy liquid. Add flavorings (reserve some of the mix-ins for the top)

Then put in a freezer safe dish or tupperware and freeze for several hours until firm.

Well if you are, Chanar Jalebi is a dessert for you. It's basically gulab jamun, but instead of round balls, the pastries are shaped like pretzels. The pastries is made from cheese, but it's fried and put into syrup.

You fry the pastries and then place them in a simple syrup to soak. Store in syrup in fridge.

Preparation time: 1 hour

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients:

1 cup powdered milk (you may need a few tsps. more)

1/2 cup wheat flour (set aside 2 tsps. of flour in case)

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp of baking powder

4 cups of sugar

4 cups of oil for frying (try something without a lot of flavor)

4 cups of water

10-12 pods of cardamom

Directions:

Make the dough:

In a large bowl, mix the wheat flour, powdered milk and baking powder thoroughly.

Slowly add the heavy cream into the mixture and store constantly.

Mix until the dough is soft with a smooth texture. If you need to add more milk or flour to get it to the right consistency, do so.

Set aside the dough and let it rest while you make the syrup.

Make the syrup:

In a large pot, add the 4 cups of water, 4 cups of sugar and cardamom pods. Stir until sugar dissolves.

Heat until it boils and boil for 5 minutes.

Then turn off the heat and let the syrup continue to cool in the pot.

Back to the dough:

Divide the dough into 2 halves. Then into half again. Divide a third time. Divide again. You should 16 balls of dough.

To create the pretzel shape, roll the dough ball in between your palms. You want a string of dough about 8 inches long.

Fold the dough into a pretzel by bringing first side over to the center than connect it. Repeat with the other side.

Repeat with all the remaining dough balls.

In another large pot, heat the 4 cups of oil until you see it sizzle by putting a small bit of dough into it.

Fry the jalebis 4 at a time. Flip when one side is dark brown. They should be dark brown on both sides.

Once it's fried, drain them and directly add to syrup water in the other pot.

1 whole chicken, skinless and broken down. (bones are fine, but you can do the boneless variety, too.)

2 medium or 1 large tomatoes, diced

1 tsp. of tomato paste.

3 cups of water (or chicken broth for extra flavor)

At least 1 tsp. of salt, rest to taste

1 tsp. of sugar

1/4 cup of cilantro, cleaned and chopped.

the juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tsp. vegetable or grapeseed or canola oil.

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, add onions, ginger and garlic. Blend or process until it's a thick paste-like substance (you can add 1 or 2 tsp. of water if needed). Add salt, lemon, turmeric and yogurt to the blender and continue to mix. If you want this chicken to be spicy, blend in two of the chilis, without stems. For medium spice, blend in 1 chili; for mild don't blend in chilis. The mixture is the marinade for the chicken.

Once all is combined, allow chicken to marinate overnight.

Next day, in a large pot -- add the oil and heat.

When the oil starts smoking slightly, add diced tomatoes and allow to "fry" in the oil for one minute.

Add curry powder and allow the spices to bloom for another minute.

Then add chicken to pot with it's marinade. The chicken will begin to cook in the marinade, which now will act as the based for the sauce. [Note the marinade will be heated and any possible contamination from the poultry won't exist anymore. However, if you can't imagine using the marinade as the sauce, repeat Step 1 and make a "fresh" marinade to use with the chicken. Pull the chicken out of marinade and sear off, adding marinade as the base to the sauce.

Once you see the chicken is starting to cook, add in the tomato paste, sugar and water or broth to the pot. Add the remaining chili to the pot to add more flavor.

Bring to a boil. Cover then cook on low for 30 minutes; stirring occasionally.

After 30 minutes, check for seasoning; add salt to taste or more spice if necessary. [Fans of sriracha, this is a good place to add at least 1 tsp.)

Pin This!

There was an error in this gadget

About Me

A DC-area journalist and photographer having fun with food.

Why I'm writing this blog...

I grew up eating traditional Indian food, along with the staple American meals. During my middle school years, my family began exploring eating exotic foods from other cultures as well as eating farm-to-table after we joined a CSA. Although this made my tastes for different ingredients and cuisines expand, we didn't eat as much Indian food at home. So although my mom and grandmother made food for special occasions, I never learned how to cook Indian food and was pretty intimidated to do so.

In graduate school and three states away from home, I wanted to learn how to make the foods from my heritage and the meals that were a memorable part of my childhood.

Please let me know how you think the recipes turn out and please leave suggestions. Thanks for reading.